This new Tallahassee restaurant puts vegan twist on classics like chili cheese fries

TaMaryn Waters   | Tallahassee DemocratInside The Social Vegan, giant peaches, coconuts, lettuce leaves, celery stalks and others fruits and vegetables are painted on the restaurant’s kiwi-colored walls.  The visuals are cues to what customers can expect when dining at the city’s latest restaurant. Located in 505 W. Georgia St., The Social Vegan serves starter appetizers, salads, sandwiches and “social classics.”It’s the vegan twist to commonly served items, such as vegan chicken and waffles, Cajun shrimp linguini and the social sausage dog. A plant-powered dining guide: Tallahassee restaurants for vegan and vegetarian diners.The Tallahassee location opened last week, more than a year after the flagship location in Lexington, Kentucky, opened its doors.Co-owner Frank Hall, who was born in Tallahassee and moved away as a child, has embraced a vegan lifestyle for years. While he may not live in the capital city anymore, Hall said he’s always considered Tallahassee to be a progressive and open city. He wanted to expand in a city with a large minority population, Hall said, adding he wants the restaurant to be an example of “Black excellence” and a place to mentor the next generation of entrepreneurs. When asked what makes the menu stand out, Hall said it all comes down to one word: flavor. Hall said some of the must menu items include the queso chili cheese fries, which earned a national award from PETA (People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals).The “Social-licious Chicken Philly” is another must-try item, Hall said. It’s made with vegan chicken on a sub roll and topped with sautéed green peppers, onions, mushrooms with melted provolone cheese, vegan mayo and mustard.  “Even though vegan food is a healthier lifestyle, I couldn’t do what traditional vegans love to have,” Hall said. “I’m the gateway to the vegan lifestyle. Everybody may not want the fried food … We used the impossible meat. We used the beyond (meat). Everybody don’t do that, but I also do the traditional stuff that the vegans love. So I focus on adding taste and bringing flavor.”Last week, a handful of residents dined and sat in the restaurant’s outdoor area. One customer, Precious Boatwright, said it was her first time trying the food. She was impressed. Boatwright, a pescatarian – a vegetarian who eats seafood – learned about the restaurant after her daughter, a vegan, saw an Instagram post about it. “I like everything,” said Boatwright, who ordered the chicken Philly sandwich. “The staff, the building, the setup and the food definitely. Being pescatarian, I have eaten just about all the restaurants that call themselves vegan or pescatarian. You can only have the same thing so many times. So this brings a new freshness to the vegan community to me.”Contact TaMaryn Waters at tlwaters@tallahassee.com or follow @TaMarynWaters on Twitter. Never miss a story:  Subscribe to the Tallahassee Democrat using the link at the top of the page.